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Studio computer configuration
Note: you can find the configuration of my previous studio computer from 2018 [here]. My current studio computer was setup in December 2022. See [here] for Cubase configuration w.r.t. the specific processor in this computer.
1. Operating system
- Windows 11 Pro, Version 21H1, OS build 19043.1706
2. Summary hardware
- Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-13700KF – 16 Cores
- Motherboard: MSI PRO Z690-A
- Video card: NVIDIA RTX 3060 8GB
- RAM memory: Kingston Fury Beast RGB 64GB DDR4-3600
- Storage: SATA and PCIe M.2 SSD, HDD, NAS
- Internet: 1Gbit network card
- Cooling: Be Quiet! Dark Rock 4
- Power supply: Seasonic G12 GC-850; 850 Watt
- Case: Asus TUF Gaming GT501
- Audio interface: Behringer X32 Digital mixer with the 32 in/out X-USB audio interface.
- Computer monitors: Iiyama ProLite X2783HSU; 27 inch (2x) and MP Midi (for metering)
3. Processor (Intel® Core™ i7-13700KF – 16 Cores)
General
- 13th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors
- Code Name: formerly Raptor Lake
- Processor Number: i7-13700KF
- Lithography: Intel 7
Advancing Performance Hybrid Architecture
13th Gen Intel Core processors advances performance hybrid architecture with up to eight Performance-cores (P-core) and up to 16 Efficient-cores (E-core), combined with workloads intelligently routed by Intel® Thread Director. This processor family offers faster P-cores and more E-cores with support for DDR4/DDR5 and PCIe 4.0/5.0. That provides a platform that can max out multitasking and choice for configurability.
CPU Specifications
- Total Cores: 16
- Performance-cores: 8 (2 threads each)
- Efficient-cores: 8
- Total Threads: 24
- Max Turbo Frequency: 5.40 GHz
- Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Frequency: 5.40 GHz
- Performance-core Max Turbo Frequency: 5.30 GHz
- Efficient-core Max Turbo Frequency: 4.20 GHz
- Performance-core Base Frequency: 3.40 GHz
- Efficient-core Base Frequency: 2.50 GHz
- Cache: 30 MB Intel® Smart Cache
- Total L2 Cache: 24 MB
- Processor Base Power: 125 W
- Maximum Turbo Power: 253 W
Memory Specifications
- Max Memory Size (dependent on memory type): 128 GB
- Memory Types: Up to DDR5 5600 MT/s / Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
- Max # of Memory Channels: 2
- Max Memory Bandwidth: 89.6 GB
- Intel® Gaussian & Neural Accelerator: 3.0
- Intel® Thread Director: Yes
- Intel® Deep Learning Boost (Intel® DL Boost): Yes
- Intel® Speed Shift Technology: Yes
- Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0: Yes
- Intel® Turbo Boost Technology: 2.0
- Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology: Yes
- Intel® 64: Yes
- Instruction Set: 64-bit
- Instruction Set Extensions: Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
- Idle States: Yes
- Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology: Yes
- Thermal Monitoring Technologies: Yes
- Intel® Volume Management Device (VMD): Yes
- Intel® Standard Manageability (ISM): Yes
- Intel® Control-Flow Enforcement Technology: Yes
- Intel® AES New Instructions: Yes
- Secure Key: Yes
- Intel® OS Guard: Yes
- Execute Disable Bit: Yes
- Intel® Boot Guard: Yes
- Mode-based Execute Control (MBEC): Yes
- Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x): Yes
- Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d):Yes
- Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT): Yes
Image: Intel Core processor
4. Video card (NVIDIA RTX 3060 8GB)
| GPU Engine Specs: | NVIDIA CUDA® Cores | 3584 |
| Boost Clock (GHz) | 1.78 | |
| Base Clock (GHz) | 1.32 | |
| Memory Specs: | Standard Memory Config | 12 GB GDDR6 / 8 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Interface Width | 192-bit / 128-bit | |
| Technology Support: | Ray Tracing Cores | 2nd Generation |
| Tensor Cores | 3rd Generation | |
| NVIDIA Architecture | Ampere | |
| Microsoft DirectX® 12 Ultimate | Yes | |
| NVIDIA DLSS | Yes | |
| NVIDIA Reflex | Yes | |
| NVIDIA Broadcast | Yes | |
| PCI Express Gen 4 | Yes | |
| Resizable BAR | Yes | |
| NVIDIA® GeForce Experience™ | Yes | |
| NVIDIA Ansel | Yes | |
| NVIDIA FreeStyle | Yes | |
| NVIDIA ShadowPlay | Yes | |
| NVIDIA Highlights | Yes | |
| NVIDIA G-SYNC® | Yes | |
| Game Ready Drivers | Yes | |
| NVIDIA Studio Drivers | Yes | |
| NVIDIA Omniverse | Yes | |
| NVIDIA GPU Boost™ | Yes | |
| NVIDIA NVLink™ (SLI-Ready) | – | |
| Vulkan RT API, OpenGL 4.6 | Yes | |
| NVIDIA Encoder | 7th Generation | |
| NVIDIA Decoder | 5th Generation | |
| CUDA Capability | 8.6 | |
| VR Ready | Yes | |
| Display Support: | Maximum Digital Resolution (1) | 7680×4320 |
| Standard Display Connectors | HDMI(2), 3x DisplayPort(3) | |
| Multi Monitor | 4 | |
| HDCP | 2.3 | |
| Card Dimensions: | Length | |
| Width | ||
| Slot | ||
| Thermal and Power Specs: | Maximum GPU Temperature (in C) | 93 |
| Graphics Card Power (W) | 170 | |
| Required System Power (W) (4) | 550 | |
| Supplementary Power Connectors |
- Up to 4k 12-bit HDR at 240Hz with DP1.4a+DSC. Up to 8k 12-bit HDR at 60Hz with DP 1.4a+DSC or HDMI2.1+DSC. With dual DP1.4a+DSC, up to 8K HDR at 120Hz
- Supports 4K 120Hz HDR, 8K 60Hz HDR and Variable Refresh Rate as specified in HDMI 2.1
- DisplayPort 1.4a
- Requirement is made based on PC configured with an Intel Core i9-10900K processor. A lower power rating may work depending on system configuration.
Gallery: NVIDIA RTX 3060 video card
5. Motherboard (MSI PRO Z690-A)
Summary
- Supports 12th/ 13th Gen Intel® Core™, Pentium® Gold and Celeron® processors for LGA 1700 socket
- Supports DDR5 Memory, up to 6400+(OC) MHz
- PCIe 5.0 slots, Lightning Gen4 x4 M.2, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2
- Thermal Solution: Extended Heatsink Design, MOSFET thermal pads rated for 7W/mk and M.2 Shield Frozr
- 2.5G LAN
- Powered by Intel USB 3.2 Gen2 controller, Turbo USB
- Multi-GPU: With Steel armor PCI-E slots. Supports AMD Crossfire™
Processor
- Supports 12th/ 13th Gen Intel® Core™ , Pentium® Gold and Celeron® Processors1
- Processor socket LGA1700 (supported processors)
Chipset: Intel® Z690 Chipset
Memory: (refer to msi.com for more information on compatible memory)
- 4x DDR5 memory slots, supporting up to 128GB
- Supports 1R 5600 MHz (by JEDEC & POR)
- Max overclocking frequency:
- 1DPC 1R Max speed up to 6400+ MHz
- 1DPC 2R Max speed up to 6000+ MHz
- 2DPC 1R Max speed up to 6000+ MHz
- 2DPC 2R Max speed up to 5600+ MHz
- Supports Intel® XMP 3.0 OC
- Supports Dual Controller Dual-Channel mode
- Supports non-ECC, un-buffered memory
Expansion slots
- 3x PCIe x16 slots
- PCI_E1 (from CPU)
- Supports up to PCIe 5.0 x16
- PCI_E3 & PCI_E4 (from Z690 chipset)
- Supports up to PCIe 3.0 x4 & 3.0 x1
- PCI_E1 (from CPU)
- 1x PCIe 3.0 x1 slot (from Z690 chipset)
Onboard graphics
- 1x HDMI 2.1 with HDR port, supports a maximum resolution of 4K 60Hz 12
- 1x DisplayPort 1.4 port, supports a maximum resolution of 4K 60Hz 12
- Available only on processors featuring integrated graphics.
- Graphics specifications may vary depending on the CPU installed.
Multi GPU: Supports AMD® CrossFire™ Technology
Storage
- 6x SATA 6Gb/s ports (from Z690 chipset)
- 4x M.2 slots (Key M)
- M2_1 slot (from CPU)
- Supports PCIe 4.0 x4
- Supports 2242/ 2260/ 2280/ 22110 storage devices
- M2_2 slot (from Z690 chipset)
- Supports PCIe 4.0 x4
- Supports 2242/ 2260/ 2280 storage devices
- M2_3 slot (from Z690 chipset)
- Supports PCIe 3.0 x4
- Supports SATA 6Gb/s
- Supports 2242/ 2260/ 2280 storage devices
- M2_4 slot (from Z690 chipset)
- Supports PCIe 4.0 x4
- Supports SATA 6Gb/s
- Supports 2242/ 2260/ 2280 storage devices
- Intel® Optane™ Memory Ready for M.2 slots that are from Z690 Chipset
- M2_1 slot (from CPU)
- Support Intel® Smart Response Technology for Intel Core™ processors
Raid
- Supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA storage devices
- Supports RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 5 for M.2 NVMe storage devices
USB
- Intel® Z690 Chipset
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 20Gbps Type-C port on the back panel
- 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps ports (1 Type-C internal connector and 1 Type-A port on the back panel)
- 6x USB 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps ports (2 Type-A ports on the back panel, and 4 ports are available through the internal USB connectors)
- 4x USB 2.0 Type-A ports on the back panel
- USB Hub GL850G
- 4x USB 2.0 ports are available through the internal USB connectors
Onboard audio: 7.1-Channel High Definition Audio
LAN: Intel® I225-V 2.5Gbps LAN
Internal connectors
- 1x 24-pin ATX main power connector
- 2x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
- 6x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
- 4x M.2 slots (M-Key)
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps Type-C port
- 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps connectors (supports additional 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps ports)
- 2x USB 2.0 connectors (supports additional 4 USB 2.0 ports)
- 1x 4-pin CPU fan connector
- 1x 4-pin water-pump fan connector
- 6x 4-pin system fan connectors
- 1x Front panel audio connector
- 2x System panel connectors
- 1x Chassis Intrusion connector
- 1x Clear CMOS jumper
- 1x TPM module connector
- 1x Tuning controller connector
- 1x TBT connector (Supports RTD3)
Led Feature
- 1x 4-pin RGB LED connector
- 2x 3-pin RAINBOW LED connectors
- 4x EZ Debug LED
Backpanel ports
Dimensions
- ATX Form Factor
- 12 in. x 9.6 in. (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm)
Gallery: overview of MSI PRO Z690-A motherboard components. Note, the JFP1 connectors for the front panel power switch and power leds are easily disconnected when removing the ASUS PSU shroud (see below) in which case you cannot start the computer.
My use of the M2 storage slots
I used the M2_1 slot for the main 1TB SSD disk with the Windows OS. This slot is directly connected to the CPU (PCIe 4.0 x4). I used the M2_4 slot for a 2TB SSD disk which is connected to the Z690 chipset (PCIe 4.0 x4). This disks holds part of my sample libraries. However, it might be argued to use the M2_1 slot for the disk with the sample libraries because of its higher performance.
Intel® Z690 Chipset
The Intel® Z690 Chipset Supports the 12th Gen Intel® Core™ desktop processors (i.e., the Intel® Core™ i7-13700KF in this computer). It supports a total of 20 lanes from the CPU itself. In total, there are 16 PCIe 5.0 lanes and four additional PCIe 4.0 lanes. The platform divides the 5.0 lanes as x16 or x8 for graphics and x4/x4 for storage, enabling a full 64 GBps bandwidth. The four PCIe 4.0 lanes provide additional storage connectivity.
DMI, or Direct Memory Interface, is the connection used to glue together virtually everything except RAM and the graphics card to the CPU. The DMI lanes function similar to PCIe lanes, with DMI 4.0 having bandwidth parity with PCIe 4.0. In turn, the Z690 chipset functions essentially as a PCIe device connected to the CPU just like a graphics card…except instead of sending graphics data, the chipset enables the CPU to connect to dozens of other devices. That includes all USB, audio, internet, and storage devices through the chipset and the DMI 4.0 connection. Any data passing from any of these devices to the system’s RAM also has to pass through this same connection, which is why having adequate bandwidth for the DMI connection is critically important. The peak theoretical bandwidth of the DMI 4.0 x8 connection is rated at 15.75GBps, which effectively gives it the same bandwidth as a PCI-E 4.0 x8 interface.
Image. The Intel® Z690 Chipset. Direct Media Interface (DMI) is Intel’s link between the northbridge and southbridge on a computer motherboard. The northbridge (also host bridge, or memory controller hub) is one of two chips comprising the core logic chipset architecture on a PC motherboard. A northbridge is connected directly to a CPU via the front-side bus (FSB) to handle high-performance tasks, and is usually used in conjunction with a slower southbridge to manage communication between the CPU and other parts of the motherboard.
Image. A typical north/southbridge layout.
6. RAM Memory (Kingston Fury Beast RGB 64GB DDR4-3600)
- Intel® XMP-ready
- Speeds up to 3733MT/s
- Memory Profile: 3600MT/s 18-22-22 1.35V
Gallery: Kingston Fury Beast RGB 64GB DDR4-3600 RAM memory
Dark Rock 4 offers an cooling performance of 200W TDP and virtually inaudible operation.
- Virtually inaudible Silent Wings 135mm PWM fan
- Achieves only 21.4dB(A) at maximum fan speed
- 6 high-performance copper heat pipes
- Airflow-optimized, wave-contoured cooling fins
- Supports an additional 120mm fan; clips are included in scope of delivery
The G12 GC Series is available in the standard ATX Form Factor and in wattages that are most common for a PC system. The Seasonic G12 GC-Series achieves 80 PLUS® Gold standard of providing at least 87 %, 90 % and 87 % power usage efficiency at 20 %, 50 % and 100 % operating loads, respectively. This efficiency, combined with Active Power Factor Correction, enables the G12 GC series power supplies to lessen energy waste, which translates into savings on the costs of energy costs for its users. In addition to being greatly efficient, the G12 GC units utilize the LLC resonant converter design, and the industry’s leading Smart and Silent Fan Control (S2FC).
- USB 3.1 Gen 1
- Metal front panel and 4mm-thick, smoked, tempered-glass side panel.
- Efficient cooling: Equipped with three 120mm Aura Sync RGB-illuminated fans and one 140mm rear PWM fan, plus up to seven fan-mounting points for targeted airflow.
- Space reserved for both front- and top-mounted 360mm water-cooling radiators plus a 140mm radiator at the rear.
- Ready for perfect cooling control via our Fan Xpert 4 software.
Gallery: Asus TUF Gaming GT501 case
Image: Asus TUF Gaming GT501 case design
10. Storage
I have a large amount of (network) storage in and attached to my computer. See Cubase Configuration and Backup Strategy how I utilize this storage
- For OS: SSD M.2 1000GB Samsung 980 PRO (PCI Express 4.0 x4 / Read 7000 MB/s / Write 5100 MB/s).
- For Sample libraries: SSD M.2 2000GB Samsung 980 PRO (PCI Express 4.0 x4 / Read 7000 MB/s / Write 5100 MB/s).
- For Spitfire libraries: Samsung portable SSD T7 (Read 1,050 MB/s / Write 1000 MB/s; 1 TB).
- 4x SATA harddrive (6TB, 2TB, 2 TB, 4 TB).
- 2x Synology DS218 (2x 8TB; 2x 3TB)
 Samsung SSD T7 |
|
Synology DS218 |
HDD versus SATA SDD versus M.2 SSD
11. Audio interface
Behringer X32 Digital mixer with the 32 in/out X-USB audio interface.
Gallery: X32 digital mixer and internal X-USB audio interface
Impression of installation progress
Startup time
Let us see how startup times decline over time:
- 31 December 2022:
- Fresh Windows 11 install
- 803 of 930 GByte free (C: drive)
- Startup time: 19s till login screen. 25 seconds after login.
- 2 January 2023:
- Full installation of all software, sample libraries, etc
- 711 of 930 GByte free (C:\ drive); still a lot is installed on C:\ despite that I tried install everything on a different drive if possible.
- Startup time: 27s till login screen. 31 seconds after login
- 13 January 2023:
- Some more programs installed.
- 696 of 930 GByte free (C:\ drive)
- Startup time: 61s till login screen. 32 seconds after login
- 5 March 2023:
- Some more programs installed.
- 666 of 930 GByte free (C:\ drive)
- Startup time: 38s till login screen. 23 seconds after login (amazing, it became faster! No clue why).
- 27 August 2023:
- 511 of 930 GByte free (C:\ drive)
- Startup time:
- 8 June 2024:
- 434 of 930 GByte free (C:\ drive)
- Startup time: 33s till login screen. 7 seconds after login (even more amazing!)
References
- Unofficial Windows 10 Audio Workstation build and tweak guide (Pete Brown)
- For my backup strategy see [here]
- Further hardware advice may be obtained from Cubase Nation (Discord)
- Using a laptop during live performances
Documentation
